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LeAnn's outing comes after a public appearance earlier this week shocked onlookers.

The star sang America's National Anthem at a basketball game in Texas but had many talking about her weight loss rather than her high notes.

Minus one: While she is usually on the arm of her fiancé Eddie Cibrian, this time the 28-year-old was shopping with a male friend

Dressed in a white lace Dolce & Gabbana dress , there was no mistaking the singer's razor sharp elbow bones and knobbly knees as her legs looked noticeably thinner.

She later took to Twitter, writing: 'Dear lord! I do not workout too much nor do I starve myself.

'I'm so over this and moving on.'

The star was spotted arriving back in Los Angeles with her fiancé Eddie Cibrian and clung to his arm as they made their way through the terminal.

Gaunt: LeAnn Rimes looked worryingly thin as she performed at a
basketball game in Houston, Texas this week, compared to her healthier
size in July (right)

When controversy surrounding her weight loss first appeared last month, Rimes claimed the pictures had been doctored to make her look thinner than she actually was.

There was speculation she is feeling the strain over the impending wedding.

She said: 'Maybe it's time for a nude pic so peeps can see how I look
nowhere near what these stupid pics are trying to make me look like, LOL
#joke.

'I don't care about the dumb articles. I know how healthy I am. Maybe
those people should start taking care of themselves... inside and out.'

Close: The star was seen clinging on to her fiancé Eddie following the recent weight furore

The country singer now regularly Tweets details of her diet as she tries to convince fans she eats healthily.

When one of her followers said she was 'too skinny' yesterday, Rimes replied: 'Well, I swear I just ate four chick-fil-a chicken strips, a chicken breast, rice, green beans and a lemon bar.'

After singing The Star-Spangled Banner, Rimes changed out of her white dress into something more comfortable so she could watch UConn beat Butler 53-41 at the NCAA men's basketball National Championship.

Since announcing her engagement to Eddie, 37, in December, the bride-to-be appears to have upped her diet and exercise regime.

Her slim frame is a far cry from her healthy, toned figure she displayed last summer.

Rimes admitted she turned to exercise amid the negative press she received when she left her first husband Dean Sheremet to be with Cibrian, who was also married at the time.

She told Shape magazine last September: 'Just getting to the gym, even for a few minutes, was a big accomplishment. Working out 'really did make me feel better and kind of saved me. It gave me a bit of sanity.

'I think there is pressure in this industry to maintain a certain level of beauty... beauty is all subjective to me.

'You don't have to be a size zero to be beautiful. I've always aimed at being healthy and fit to be happy with myself, which for a woman can be really hard.'

In an interview three years ago, Rimes talk about the emotional pain of being labelled 'fat' during her years as a teen pop sensation.

She told Fitness magazine: 'What is there to do when you're on tour? I basically ate and sat on the bus. For me, it was a really lonely experience, and I turned to food at times because I had nowhere else to get that love.

'I tried not to read what people were writing, about how I had baby fat or that I looked fat and needed to lose weight. People can be mean. Still, I knew that I was unhealthy.'

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Leann Rimes is not her usual glamorous self as she steps out with messy hair